


Happy Birthdays

by VelvetSky



Series: Through the Years [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday, F/M, Fluff, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2018-12-22 09:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11964264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetSky/pseuds/VelvetSky
Summary: A series of Darcy's birthdays, starting when she meets Steve, each year for 10 years.





	1. Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Em_Jaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Em_Jaye/gifts).



> Birthday gift fic for idontgettechnology. She offered up a bunch of cool prompts that I saw on Shieldshock, and I thought it would be cool as a one fic each year on Darcy's birthday from meeting Steve on.

Darcy had been at the Tower for just a couple of months, working with Jane. There were bunches of floors that were under construction, either from actual damage from the thing with the Chitauri, or because Stark decided to renovate or change them in the process of converting Stark Tower to Avengers Tower. The lab space Jane had at the moment was apparently only temporary, until the new, better labs were finished, though Jane seemed perfectly happy in the basement labs, tooling with her, mostly, hand built instruments. She was beginning to meet people around the Tower, but she hadn’t spoken to anyone regularly enough to assume actual friendship, just the potential for it.

Jane was out of, not only the building, but town, for a couple of days. It was some conference in Boston, which didn’t require Darcy to tag along. Instead, Jane had left her with some data to input and run through the usual analysis program. The work wasn’t taking very long, especially with most of the rest of the science folks being gone as well. The place was pretty quiet. Darcy could have gone home early, but all that would mean was being alone in a tiny apartment that she still needed to try to make feel more like home, but hadn’t had the time to do so. Often she mostly just slept and showered there, as Jane had found a fresh charge to her work the last couple months.

This had meant that Jane had been so focused on work, she hadn’t noticed that it was Darcy’s birthday. Darcy didn’t know anyone outside the building, no time for that with all the work. Which meant that she was spending this birthday, her twenty-fourth, alone. Not that she had to have a big celebration, but it would have been nice to have someone to share some cupcakes with or something. Like last year, with Jane. The Tower at least made her feel less like she was spending her birthday alone, not that there were a lot of people around. She could hear the sounds of construction as she headed up to one of the common lounges many floors up. It had a nice view, a big TV, and usually a well stocked fridge. She was hoping to find something worth calling a birthday treat in there, otherwise she would have to venture out and pick something up on her way home.

It wasn’t quite cake or cupcakes, but she found ice cream, as well as some whipped cream and the makings for chocolate sauce, she could make a sundae. While Darcy was making her sundae, someone else wandered in. She wasn’t really expecting to see anyone about the Tower, much less Captain America himself. She had met Steve exactly once, for just a couple of minutes, she’d said hello and he’d sort of nodded and looked away.

Steve didn’t really know Darcy, but he’d been trying to find out what he could ever since he met her. Something about her in those few minutes of proximity, and just the way she’d said hello, it made him curious, and had his insides fluttering in a way that they hadn’t in awhile, not since that first time he laid eyes on Peggy. It felt like it meant something. But he wasn’t sure how to go about getting to know Darcy better. Talking to women was never one of the things he was good at.

When he wandered into the lounge to find her making something at the kitchen counter, he froze a moment. Darcy smiled when she looked up and spotted Steve. “Hi! I didn’t think anyone else was even around today.”

It took him a moment longer than he thought it should have to find his voice, but she was still smiling warmly at him, “I didn’t think anyone else was around either. What are you making?”

“Ice cream sundae. Do you want one?” Darcy had found some bananas and was considering if she was feeling like making her sundae fancy by caramelizing them, or simple by just slicing them.

“Sure.” Steve tried a smile that he hoped was relaxed and casual, but he was concerned it was more stupid. She kept smiling at him though, so he kept his breathing more or less steady as he stepped closer to the counter. “I haven’t had a sundae since I was young.”

“Then it’s definitely been too long, I’d say.” Darcy smirked a little, and Steve smiled.

“I think it probably has. What are you putting on it?” Steve hadn’t had them that often, only when he managed enough money to go get one, but that had made sundaes a real treat. It was never something he’d had the makings for at home, so he was intrigued with the making of one, sort of, at home, and not at an ice cream shop or diner.

“I made some chocolate sauce, and I found bananas. I saw some walnuts in the freezer, so if you like nuts there are some. And I found a can of whipped cream. I was thinking about caramelizing the bananas.” Darcy shrugged, while it was more work, it also sounded really good, and a little fancy sounded nice for her birthday.

“Caramelizing the bananas?” Food had been fairly basic growing up. His mother had always had food on the table, but it was simple food. Potatoes, meat, vegetables, a lot of it boiled. Sometimes there was pasta, something his mother had learned from a neighbor. Steve had only been in this century for a few months, he was trying to learn everything he could, Fury had set him up with a computer and internet in his apartment, which he was making use of.

“You cook the bananas with some butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, it gets kind of caramely.” Darcy hadn’t been sure she described that well, but Steve’s smile seemed to say she did. “I’m Darcy, by the way.”

“I know, I remember. I’m Steve.” Their meeting had been just a couple of minutes, and there had been other people there like Jane, Erik, Bruce, and a couple of other assistants in the science labs, but Steve remembered Darcy.

“Right, you probably have like super memory along with everything else. And I know who you are, hard not to notice.” She wasn’t totally sure what all of his abilities were, but it sounded reasonable.

“I do. I actually had a pretty good memory even before the serum. But I’d have remembered you in any case.” He looked down a little, though his eyes were still on her, peering through his lashes.

“You would have?” She had remembered him because he was Captain America, and gorgeous. But she wasn’t sure how she’d make such an impression on him when all she said was hello.

“I’m certain.” Steve nodded, his gaze still trained on her the whole time.

The smile was all over Darcy’s face, not just pulling at her lips, but shining her her eyes. “You want to try the bananas caramelized?”

“Sure, it sounds good. I should probably give some new things a try.” He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze off her, even when she finally pulled hers off him, at least for a few moments at a time, in order to start fixing the bananas.

“Sometimes trying something new is good. And you probably have a lot of new things you can choose from.” Darcy had just enough focus to manage to get caramelizing the bananas while most of her attention was pulled toward Steve.

“I suppose, I don’t want to try everything though, only the things that seem worth investing in.” Steve felt like they were having two or three conversations all in one.

“I hope you’ll find this sundae worth the little bit of time invested. I promise the caramelized bananas are good anyway.” Darcy had a kind of boldness most of the time, but the little flutter in her stomach had her wavering here and there.

“I think it will be. It certainly looks good.” Steve glanced a moment at the pan with the bananas Darcy was cooking, then stared back at her. “What made you decide to make a fancy sundae today?”

There was a soft blush to her cheeks, and Darcy wasn’t sure if it was from the heat of the stove, or Steve, maybe both. “It’s my birthday, so I figured if I can’t have a fancy sundae on my birthday, then what’s the point.” She half giggled for a moment, switching off the stove as the bananas reached what looked like ideal caramelization.

“It’s your birthday? And you’re here, by yourself?” Steve would have expected someone like her to be out with friends or something, having fun. He thought it was only people like himself who spent birthdays alone.

“Yeah, well, I haven’t been in New York very long, and most of my time is here with Jane. And since she’s out of town, no one to drag out to have cupcakes with me. But you’re here now.” She smiled a little more, and the blush that hit Steve’s cheeks had no other excuses other than her.

“I am. And now I’m even happier to have happened in here. I just hope I’ll be good birthday company.” Steve had never paid much mind to his own birthdays, but he somehow felt like others should have a nice time on theirs, that it should be a happy day.

“You have been so far, I don’t see why that shouldn’t continue.” She was assembling a sundae, which got a little bigger than she’d intended. But she had a habit of doing that since childhood. Taking a little more than she meant to of something that looked so good.

“That’s a big sundae.” Steve had watched her scooping the ice cream, but didn’t say anything until she stopped and started with the chocolate sauce.

“I think it got away from me, want to share it instead of having separate ones?” Darcy giggled a little and shrugged softly, she really hadn’t done it on purpose, but it might not be a terrible thing.

“Sure.” The smile that crept over his features was slightly crooked and seemed like it was trying to hold back. Steve responded before he had even thought about it, and he was trying not to just grin like an idiot. Watching as she finished topping the sundae and put things away before sitting down. Steve sat next to her, and the idiot smile was no longer stoppable as she scooted a little closer so they could share the sundae.


	2. Party

After last year, and learning that Darcy liked parties, Steve thought maybe her twenty-fifth birthday warranted a party. They had been moving very slow, they weren't really even a couple, though they'd spent more than a few evenings, and days, at each others apartments, and there was definitely more than friendship going on. They just hadn't hung a label on it. He was away a lot on missions, and Darcy had ventured away a few times with Jane for research. But they always came back to the Tower, and each other.

Most of the rest of the Avengers had gotten to know Darcy, among others in the Tower. So all Steve had to do was casually mention to Tony that someone in their ranks had a birthday coming up, and Tony did the rest. The party was great fun, lots of people, lots of food, good music, and friends. Darcy spent the evening dancing and talking. There was a cake and awesome party favors, even a few gifts, which had been far more than she'd expected. It was sort of the big birthday party where she felt like the center of it all that she'd never had when she was a kid. When she thanked Tony at the end of the evening, he told her Steve tipped him off that her birthday was coming up a couple weeks earlier.

Darcy sought Steve out at the end of the party, she'd planned to in any case, Tony's info just made her more anxious to find him and thank him. She spotted him hanging out near the door, looking a little serious. "Hey, I hear you tipped Tony off about my birthday. Thanks, this was a lot of fun."

Steve smiled softly, "I'm glad you had a good time. Want to take a walk?"

"Sure." She smiled back, but something felt a little odd.

They made idle chat until they got out of the building, heading generally in the direction of Steve's apartment. Darcy watched him a moment, looking like he was trying to figure something out. She was the one to break the silence, "what's going on, Steve? You seem weird right now."

There was a deep sigh before he answered. "Fury asked me two days ago to go to DC and do some work with Shield at their HQ."

"That probably has some adventures in store. How long do you think you'll be gone?" Darcy was used to him going off on missions for a week or two, or sometimes even more. She missed him, but she was used to it.

"That's the thing, it's an indefinite move. I'll be living there." Steve stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. They'd only gotten a block or so away, but being nighttime, there wasn't a huge crowd to get in the way of.

"Oh, okay. Well, DC isn't terribly far away, right?" Darcy knew they hadn't really said they were a thing, but everything about how they were together felt like a relationship. Even this conversation, but it was also starting to feel like a break up conversation.

"I suppose not. But, is that going to be too weird of a situation? It just seems complicated." Steve had no idea how relationships worked in the present or the past. Seeing as they hadn't really said this was a relationship, he wasn't at all sure how it worked. And since no one knew about their sort of, but not technically, relationship, he couldn't very well have told Fury no because of it.

"It might be complicated. I mean, we never really defined this anyway, if you don't want attachments, I suppose that's fair." Darcy didn't want to stop seeing Steve, she missed him every time either of them was away. But she's wasn't really his girlfriend, so she didn't really have any right to protest.

"It's not that I don't want attachments. Would it even be fair to you?" Steve had been worrying about that since they met. It was why he'd never brought up officially titling it, or bringing it out into the open. He didn't know if she'd want that, if it only worked for her because of the state that it existed in. So she could leave it for something more normal when she found it.

"What do you mean, fair to me?" Darcy had simply been afraid to push for more than he was willing to give, he was acclimating to this new century fairly well, and she tried to help him with that. She could tell he was still working through that, and maybe other things he hadn't said, and she didn't want to put any pressure on him, because he had plenty of pressures as it was. "I don't want to put any pressure on you. But I like being with you."

Steve stepped a little closer, she had left a safe couple of feet between them when he'd stopped. "I like being with you too. But you could have a normal, or more normal life. Life with me will probably never be normal, I'm not normal."

"No one is normal. And I've never looked for normal. I like you the way you are. Your very unique experiences are part of you, and you are an interesting, intelligent, and fun person to be around." Darcy had caught that most people around the Tower didn't think Steve Rogers did anything fun. Their image of him was of a serious and proper Captain America, or something like that, it seemed. Those were parts of him, in certain situations, but most of the time, he wasn't that. Even that first time really hanging out with him last year, he was warm and funny.

Steve shifted closer, one hand on her hip, the other on her cheek, and pulled her into a slow, soft kiss. Nothing indecent for the street, but it lingered for a few moments. "I'm kind of nervous about calling this something to other people when we suddenly won't be around each other much. But I would like to call you my girl. And know I won't be with anyone else, I'm not even sure there's anyone else I could ever be interested in at all. And should someone happen to catch onto us, I won't be denying it. I just don't think anyone has noticed yet, or at least no one has said."

"No one has said anything to me either. I'm okay with that idea, and I won't be dating anyone else, I haven't dated anyone else since we met. I'd like even being able to officially think of you as my boyfriend." Her hands were around his waist, as he kept her close.

"Do you think I could lure my birthday girlfriend back to my apartment for the rest of the night?" There was a smile spreading over Steve's face, growing deeper with each word.

Darcy giggled a bit at that grin and nipped ever so quickly at his bottom lip before shifting to move, "no luring needed. It was where I hoped we'd be, at the end of the night."


	3. "Happy Birthday"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note on Timeline/Canon: In the year that passes between the last story and this one most of the major events of Thor:Dark World & Captain America: Winter Soldier occur. Only Steve doesn't flirt with or ask out Sharon, she is simply there doing her job. And Darcy does not make out with Ian, he's just there to know some actual science stuff and for her to boss around.

Darcy had barely seen Steve since her last birthday. He’d left for DC just a couple of days after. Then she’d found herself in London not a month later, when Erik called Jane to come see something he was working on. Steve had come through London twice while she was there in the course of about nine months, only for a night each time on his way to somewhere else. They had exchanged numerous text messages, and talked on the phone occasionally. It certainly wasn’t the way most people took a relationship to a next level. She knew he was chasing after his old friend, Bucky, after the fall of Shield, who apparently had been kept alive since the war as a brainwashed assassin. She didn’t know much more than that, but she didn’t blame Steve for wanting to track him down. So even once Darcy had finally landed back on US soil at the start of the summer, she wasn’t really sure when she’d actually see him.

The last couple of months were spent digging into new scientific mysteries with Jane, back at the Tower. Thor had taken up residence there as well. Tony’s renovations were finally complete, and Avenger’s Tower was in full operation. Steve wasn’t there, nor was Natasha. Clint and Bruce were though. Darcy had gotten to know those who were around a bit better, and had started aiding Bruce and Tony with their work along with helping Jane and Erik. While helping Tony, she’d also met Pepper, who started requesting her help in managing Tony when Pepper was away. It kept Darcy busy, so she didn’t have time to worry or wonder too much.

Steve’s last text, a few days before her birthday, had said he was finally headed back to New York, and he hoped to be there to celebrate with her. Darcy was hoping that was true. Even as the morning of her birthday arrived and she’d heard nothing further from him. She started her day as any other, heading into work, and getting handed a list of tasks as soon as she got to the lab. Jane did say happy birthday, before putting Darcy to work. Darcy cleared the Jane tasks before lunch and went to look in on Tony a few floors up.

"Perfect timing, Firework,” Tony just barely glanced at her when she came in, he was busy tinkering with something. “Pop an apple slice in my mouth, would you.”

Darcy rolled her eyes, at pretty much the entirety of what Tony said. From the request to feed him to the nickname that he’d come up with over a year ago. When she’d asked him about it, Tony said it was the perfect combination of her having tased Thor, the fact that she had a firecracker personality, and that time he’d walked into Jane’s lab while Jane was out and Darcy was blasting the Katy Perry song of the same name. According to Tony she also sort of looked like Katy Perry, except shorter and with bigger boobs. Tony periodically kept offering to set her up with something that could shoot fireworks from her boobs. She was half curious to take him up on it, and half tempted to just tase him the next time. “I’m not going to feed you. That’s where I draw the line. Besides, I thought you didn’t like being handed things.”

“This isn’t handing, it’s popping. Come on,” and he opened his mouth at her, tongue decidedly out.

“I don’t really see much of a difference.” Her hands on her hips, she wasn’t caving that easy. If she did it once, he’d start expecting it, that’s how things worked with Tony.

“Are we going to argue this point? Just put the apple slice in my mouth, I’m hungry, and my hands are a little occupied, not to mention dirty.” Tony was trying to wire something, and if he let go, he’d lose his progress, plus his fingers were a bit grimy from the work.

“Then you should have eaten before you started, or you should have gotten a smoothie. Besides, I just walked in here, you don’t know where my hands have been.” There was a distinct smirk on her face as Tony snickered and looked kind of pathetic at the same time. His sad puppy attempt wasn’t going to sway her though.

“Happy birthday,” an arm had slipped around her waist, and someone had pressed fully against her back. For a split second she’d jumped, before quickly leaning into the feeling of Steve.

The stunned look on Tony’s face was priceless. “Don’t tell me Capsicle has been lighting up the Firework.”

Darcy laughed, and blushed, which probably told Tony everything he wanted, and maybe didn’t want to know. Steve didn’t care, Tony could make whatever jokes he wanted. Steve was done keeping things under wraps. Granted he hadn’t discussed that with Darcy, but she’d never expressed that she wanted it to be a secret. It had really been more of a happenstance of their situation, since they’d started out not really calling it a relationship, and once they started to call it that, they barely saw each other. Finally they were officially a couple, and in the same place for more than a night.

“I’m not sure if I want to throw up or high five you both.” Tony chuckled, because his brain had started conjuring up some mental images and he wasn’t quite sure what to do with the information.

“Aren’t you glad I didn’t give you the apple now? But if you do throw up, you’re cleaning it up yourself.” Darcy looked at Steve, “he wanted me to feed him his apple slices because while he’s a genius, he doesn’t plan ahead for his snack needs.”

Steve had been feeling pretty stressed and tense for months, and he was shocked at how fast it was melting away now that he had Darcy in his arms. “I’m sure such a genius can sort himself out for the afternoon, because I need your assistance a lot more than he does right now.”

“Sorry, Tony.” Darcy waved as Steve started to shift them to move.

“I guess you can melt a Capsicle with a Firework. Just know there will be Star Spangled Fireworks jokes tomorrow!” Steve didn’t care if there was a banner on the side of the building, he grinned at Tony’s teasing threat.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Tony!” Steve called over his shoulder as they headed for the elevator. His attention then turned to Darcy. “I hope you don’t mind this not being a secret anymore.”

“I don’t mind at all. I’m glad for it not to be. I really like this already, getting to hold my boyfriend’s hand and walk around with him, even here.” About an hour ago, she was starting to think that this day might just be another day, but just having Steve made it special. “And very glad that I didn’t have to miss seeing him on my birthday.”

“I’m sorry I was kind of radio silence the last couple days, I’d hoped I’d caught a lead. It didn’t pan out, but I definitely had to get back here to you for your birthday. It’s kind of a special day.” Steve mostly meant simply because it was the day she was born, which made him far happier than he’d thought he’d ever be again. But it was also the day they met two years ago, which made it a little extra special.

“Does that mean you’ll be leaving again soon?” They were alone in the elevator, and Steve halted it when she asked.

“No, I’m going to stick around a while. Only going to leave if there is a mission, or a real solid lead on Bucky. I’ve been chasing phantom trails for months, and I’m tired. I don’t think I fully realized how much I missed you, and I knew I was really missing you, until I saw you. And it really hit.” Steve held her tight against his body, not wanting to let go.

Darcy kissed his neck and jaw, and snuggled into his chest. “I’m sorry your leads didn’t pan out, but I’m glad you’ll be around for the most part. I missed you too.”


	4. Rainbow Sprinkles

Darcy didn’t want a big party this year, or really anything other than time with Steve. They had both been based from New York and the Tower, but even so, it had been a busy year. Jane had made great breakthroughs in her research, and spent much of the year traveling to confer with other scientists, receive awards, and talk to students getting started in the field. Darcy had be along for much of that traveling, though in the past few months she’d been in New York while Jane was off touring. Darcy was working with Tony and Bruce and others, and Jane had picked up a fresh intern, an actual astrophysics grad student who knew all the lingo. Not that Darcy had been an intern for a while, she’d been thankfully upgraded to assistant, which included a salary.

It had also been a busy year for the Avengers, which had kept Steve running out on missions semi-regularly, and they had even taken in some new Avengers. He and Sam were also still looking for tangible leads on where Bucky went, which sometimes lead to a few days away. And by summer, Tony had started renovations on a compound in upstate New York to serve as a new headquarters for the Avengers. The Tower would still be the visible front to the team, and everyone was welcome to stay there whenever they liked, but it was becoming mostly support staff, and Stark research. The compound was quieter, more low profile, and gave everyone some breathing room, which they’d seemed to need after a series of big Hydra takedowns early in the year.

They were still in the city, but planned to head up to the compound soon, so it seemed a good time to take in New York City, specifically Brooklyn. Wandering a park or two, eating along the way. The afternoon was very warm, it was summer after all, and Darcy was craving something cold, so ice cream it was. Soft serve, and covered in rainbow sprinkles.

“You should get one too.” They were standing on line, Steve had an arm around Darcy’s waist as she leaned into him.

“I’m getting ice cream too.” It was pretty warm, he liked the idea of something cool and sweet.

“With the rainbow sprinkles too. It makes it more fun and festive, and it’s my birthday, so festive is required.” Not that she didn’t know Steve had a fun and playful side, but it usually only showed in private, or around a few select other people. Not that she thought anyone else would notice, but it made her smile.

Steve chuckled, he wouldn’t have asked for rainbow sprinkles of his own accord, he didn’t see the need for them, he just wanted the ice cream. But he wasn’t against sprinkles either, and if it made Darcy smile, he certainly didn’t mind having sprinkles. “Okay. I’ll get rainbow sprinkles too.”

Darcy had a bright smile while they waited and ordered. Steve had gotten vanilla soft serve, while she had gotten chocolate. “See, it’s colorful and fun.”

“It is.” He chuckled again, softly before going for a mouthful. The result of which was a bit of ice cream and a sprinkle on his lip. Before he could lick it off himself though, Darcy pulled him down by the front of his shirt and kissed it off him. When her lips pulled back, Steve was grinning like an idiot, “I definitely like sprinkles now.”

“I told you they were fun.” She giggled and shifted to take his hand and start walking.

They strolled along into a nearby park, cones in hand, though Steve was more watching as Darcy licked her ice cream, than he was eating his own. When she stopped, so did he. Steve didn’t even question when Darcy licked his ice cream cone, just smiled.

“If you don’t eat it, I will. Can’t let it drip and go to waste.” Darcy had noticed him watching her more than he was eating his ice cream, and that the ice cream was starting to melt a little.

“I wouldn’t complain if you did, I’m just enjoying seeing you having a good birthday.” Steve did take a lick of his ice cream though.

“You are just too sweet and adorable sometimes. It really should be on your list of Captain America superpowers.” She went for his ice cream at the same time he did. Noses brushing as they both leaned in, and after they took a moment to clean each others lips. Darcy pulled back after a moment, giggling.

“It’s a special superpower I only use on you.” When she went for her ice cream, so did he, and they repeated the kiss after. Steve’s next words were a little softer and more serious. “I have to make sure you have a reason to stick with me through the crazy shit that is my life most of the time.”

“Steve, I’m not going anywhere, and not just because of your sweet adorableness, that’s only part of it. Life is crazy, for everyone. But those who really love and care want to be there, even when it’s hard.”

Steve let go of her hand, only to use that hand to pull her in closer. “That’s good, because I want you with me for the long haul. You are the constant, the solid ground in my life. Which is another reason your birthday is special to me, not just because we met on your birthday, but because without you, I don’t even know what I would be hanging onto.”

Darcy was staring up at Steve as he spoke, and she felt herself get a little teary. “Oh, Steve! I love you. That might be one of the most touching things anyone has said to me. But I do think you’re strong, you’d do alright without me. I don’t plan to make you ever have to find out though.”

“Good, I don’t want to find out what having to let go of you would be like. Moving up to the compound should be nice. I’m hoping it will mean a calmer pace to day to day life when there isn’t a mission. And I was thinking, maybe you’d want to live with me, or rather we could live together. It seems like a nice time to do it, since it wouldn’t be one of us giving up our space to go to the other persons. But we’re going to a new place, and we could get a room together.” Steve had been thinking about the idea of living together for a while, they spent a lot of nights at one another’s apartments, but definitely still had their own separate spaces. When one was gone, the other didn’t hang out at the other’s apartment alone. He rambled a little, shaking his head at himself by the end while Darcy just smiled at him.

“That’s a big step, it sounds like a good one to me. If you feel ready for that, I am too. And then when you aren’t on a mission, we’ll have maximum time together.” The smile lit up her face, there was no hint of hesitation in her voice or appearance, which made Steve breathe a little easier.

“I love you, Darcy. And I’ll do anything I possibly can to keep you smiling and loving me.” Darcy pulled him down by the shirt again to kiss him. This one lingered until she felt the tickle of melting ice cream on her fingers.

They finally resumed walking and finished their ice creams before they melted away. Pausing a few times to kiss away a few stray rainbow sprinkles. Steve had definitely found a reason to like sprinkles. Getting them on a lip or finger meant Darcy kissing or licking it off him, or him getting to do that to her. They spent the rest of her birthday wandering Brooklyn, enjoying the city.


	5. Presents

The compound had become home in a big way to the Avengers. Getting out of the city did seem to give a lot of them a little more breathing room, and made life feel less crazy when there wasn’t an immediate mission to deal with. Yes, there were still plenty of those to go around, but when there wasn’t, there was also more relaxing leisure time. The property was big, and there were lots of things to do, either on the grounds, or out in the nearby towns and cities. The past year had been busy, but good.

Darcy was working as a more general aide at large around the compound. Helping with administration, doing some PR, and keeping everything in order. She knew almost everyone, and everyone seemed to like dealing with her. Tony said she was a more of the people face for everyone to deal with. Maybe that was true. She enjoyed it, and she was around Steve a lot, even while working, unless he was out of the building for a mission. And they seemed to work together as smoothly as they had found living together, which was very.

Steve found Darcy to be a calming influence, her presence in his daily life made him a less tense person. Sam had pointed it out to him even back at the Tower, whenever Steve got a few days in a row of mostly just being with Darcy, he’d walk into the next mission a little calmer, a little more relaxed. He had that all the time this last year, which had been very helpful when a month or so ago, he finally tracked down Bucky and brought him in. The lead up and going looking had him worried, worried he wouldn’t find Bucky, again. Worried that he would, but Bucky wouldn’t remember anything and would push him away. Darcy had soothed him through that, and when he came back with Bucky, who had been slowly piecing his memories back together, and trusted no one but Steve, she’d agreed to let Bucky stay in their apartment.

He had worried a lot the last few weeks, as Bucky was forced to undergo a lot of tests and assessments. Tony had brought in the best of the best to help with removing Bucky’s programing and help him get recovering. Steve had worried about how Darcy would deal with Bucky being there, and how Bucky would react to everyone, but especially Darcy. He still worried about Bucky’s ongoing recovery and how he was doing, but by the third day, he stopped worrying too much about how Bucky and Darcy would get along, because they seemed to do just fine. He’d had to spend the day on a mission, one day, but so soon after Bucky’s arrival. He’d come home to find Darcy making Bucky dinner, and Bucky seemed to be talking fairly easily with her. Darcy didn’t express any issues with the sort of indefinite time frame for when Bucky might get his own room, she said it was okay. She helped Steve relax, and he had his best friend back too. It all helped Steve feel more at ease.

When Darcy’s birthday arrived, Bucky said he was okay to hang out alone while they went out, and Steve definitely wanted to take Darcy out someplace nice after everything. Neither of them were especially fancy people, so he kept it at casually dressy. He put on a coat and tie, and Darcy wore a dress, nice, but not fancy. Steve had planned and gotten a reservation as a nice Italian place in town, with a romantic but low key vibe, and good food. After dinner and a little dessert, they headed back to the compound, but Steve suggested a walk before actually heading inside. The grounds were big, and had a lot of open space to walk. There was a path around the little pond that he and many others liked to use for morning jogs.

Being after dinner, and growing dark, it wasn’t too busy outside, even on a nice summer night. There were lights around the compound such that it wasn’t too dark. Steve pulled her close, and Darcy cuddled into him as they walked. It wasn’t until they got around the curve of the pond, where it was nice and quiet, that Steve stopped them.

“I hope this has been a good birthday. I really wanted to make it nice and special, because you’ve been really caring and patient with all the mess that just comes from being with me.” His arms around her, his head close to hers, Steve spoke softly, even with no one else around to hear.

Darcy beamed up at him, “I had a wonderful birthday, Steve. Thank you. And being with you isn’t some kind of chore, please don’t ever think I feel like it is. I know this life is crazy, I’m on board.”

“I’ll try. I’m glad you and Bucky are getting along, and I promise at some point, he will eventually move into his own room here.” Sometimes Steve’s brain just worked on overdrive, wanting to make sure everything was just right and really all okay.

“Seriously, Steve, it’s not a big deal. Bucky is great, I don’t mind him staying in the other bedroom. He’s nice company when you’re working late. So don’t worry about it. I’m not worried about it. It’s not a hassle or an imposition. I promise.” She brushed her hands down Steve’s cheeks and kissed him softly, her lips lingering for only a moment on his.

“I do want to give you as much normal life as I can, because I don’t want you to have to be sacrificing everything. Especially when it’s really not sacrificing for me to give you those things, because I want them too.” They had talked from time to time about their future together, and what the possibilities were, but Steve was never sure of nailing things down, because of his life. But he’d been doing some thinking lately, especially since his search for Bucky was finally over. He shifted, pulling back just enough to drop to a knee. He held out a little box, “will you marry me, Darcy?”

Darcy gasped, and somehow her face beamed even more. She didn’t think she could smile any more than she was. When she found her voice after a moment, it was little more than a whisper, “yes. Oh my god, Steve. Yes, I love you.”

Steve stood up again as he slipped the ring on her finger. It was simple, and it was perfect for her. “I love you, Darcy.”

They didn’t know how long they spent holding each other and kissing on the far side of the pond, but it was a while. They took their time, just basking in one another, before considering heading inside.


	6. Frosting

Darcy’s birthday had fallen during their honeymoon. They knew that when they planned, Darcy had kind of liked the idea of spending her birthday somewhere different, so Steve was happy to do so. They had gotten married a little more than a week earlier, but decided on a two week honeymoon just so they could spend Darcy’s birthday somewhere special. The last year had been a fairly good one. There were the usual missions and occasional madness, but it was a pretty good year, all in all.

The location was Ireland, splitting their time between two areas, and seeing a few other stops in between. As their trip was winding down, only a few days left, they’d made their way to Dublin to take in the city. There were plenty of things to do. They found a little bakery and bought a little cake to celebrate. There had been a few things they’d made a point to see, but most of the trip had just been wandering through places, taking in the cities and towns and landscapes. Life was fast paced enough, their honeymoon was to be taken slow. It was in that spirit that they sat together eating cake.

“The frosting on this is so good. It’s really rich and creamy, but also doesn’t over power, it’s not slathered on so thick it’s all you taste.” Darcy was loving every minute of the trip. It had been nothing but her and Steve, together for the past week and a half.

“It is. The frosting you make is just about this good. But I’m glad we found a good bakery here to get a little cake.” Steve was always amazed by her skills in the kitchen, and had been doing his best to learn what he could. But she was the better cook, and definitely the better baker.

“Mine is good, I think this one is just another level. I’m glad you haven’t gotten sick of me yet. Cause I know this has been a lot of face to face time.” There was a smile playing on her lips, and a gleam in her eyes.

“How would I get sick of you?” He could tell she was joking just a bit, but he spoke genuinely in any case.

“After a week of twenty-four seven me, most people need at least an hour break. Even my parents, definitely Jane.” Darcy laughed a bit, it was kind of a joke, but sort of true. But it seemed like Steve hadn’t tired of her, or needed any break, nor her from him. The only time during their honeymoon they weren’t in the same room together was when one was using the bathroom. Otherwise, it was all the time, face to face, next to each other.

“Nope, you can’t run me off that easy. You are stuck with me.” Steve leaned in to steal a little kiss from her lips.

“I like being stuck with you. I’ve never stuck anywhere quite so well.” Darcy lifted her fork with some cake and took a bite. She got a little frosting on her lip, and Steve took advantage of that. Another reason for him to lean in. Darcy loved whenever Steve found reasons to kiss her. They both laughed softly when they pulled back.

“Good, because we have a few more days of nothing but each other. And I kind of wish it was more than that. Going home will be nice, but I really enjoy it just being us for a while. Spending every possible moment with you. I always have, but there’s really no overdosing on you. I’m glad you feel the same.” Obviously Steve knew she loved him, she married him. But, he did sometimes, on the trip, wonder if he should be letting her have some kind of breather from him. Maybe it was just how much he felt for her, felt so consuming, he didn’t want to smother her in it.

“This trip has been amazing, I am definitely not overdosing on you.” Her hand squeezed his thigh, and Darcy leaned in to kiss him again, soft and lingering. They were out enjoying the city, but she would definitely be crawling all over him later, in their room.

Steve’s hand rested at the small of her back, he had been making a point of sitting with her on his left when eating, just so that he could rest his hand on her through the meal. It wasn’t a possessive thing, it was that he felt more at ease when he actually had contact with her. The closer she was, the more relaxed he felt. It had been true since the beginning, it was how he’d known she was special, because it wasn’t something he felt with most people. “I think it’s still sinking in a bit that you’re really my wife now. I mean, technically, not much in how we live really changes. But it somehow feels different inside. Like I’ve finally gotten somewhere. I still want to feel you as close as I can get you, but when I stop and think about the fact we are married now, it relaxes me. That knowledge that you’ve willingly, permanently, let me attach myself to you.”

Darcy giggled a little, setting her fork down. Her hands brushed over his cheeks, one straying to his shoulder, the other remaining. “I think I’m still getting used to the words, that you’re my husband now, not just my boyfriend. But I think that’s normal, and because other than the words, not too much changed from before the ‘I do’. I’m glad to be attached to you, permanently. I like that feeling, it warms me inside.”

Steve shifted to meet her lips, his own moving slow and easy with hers.


	7. Thirty

It was Darcy’s thirtieth birthday. Tony had tried to convince her to let him throw a big party, but Darcy had just had a baby about two months ago, and she wasn’t feeling like she needed some big party. She really just wanted time with her family. And time to relax. She and Steve had evening plans, for dinner and a date night, no baby. Sam was going to come over and stay with the baby for the night. But the morning and afternoon, she was just taking in this new decade, with her husband, and her baby daughter, Sarah, named for Steve’s mother of course.

Darcy was happy, but a bit tired. There was something of a rhythm finally, the first couple weeks had been the roughest, just getting used to everything. Sarah was smiley, vocal, and, fortunately, a pretty good sleeper. Usually once she was down for a nap, she was asleep for a couple of hours. And at night, she was starting to sleep for six to eight hours at a time. When Sarah woke early in the mornings, if Steve wasn’t already up, he got up and took care of her, so Darcy could keep sleeping. There had only been two nights where Steve was away in the two months. The last year actually had been reasonably steady for Avengers work, but none that were very long missions. It at least felt like Steve was home the vast majority of the time.

The pregnancy had been fairly smooth, Darcy hadn’t had nearly the sort of morning sickness, or late term energy drain some of her sisters had talked about when they were pregnant. Sarah was strong too. She was still very little, but they were already thinking Steve’s serum may have been passed on to his daughter, at least to some degree. Bruce even thought it was possible that was the reason for Darcy’s relatively mild pregnancy.

“Pasta is ready!” Darcy smiled when Steve called from the kitchen, then appeared with two plates. Often their meals weren’t at the table or counter anymore, they were sitting by the coffee table, so they could be more on level with Sarah as she chilled in her bouncer. It seemed to make Sarah happier to be able to sit and watch her parents. At two months, she didn’t do a lot yet, but she was fairly expressive for her age, and seemed to enjoy being part of the household activities.

“Mmm, smells good, thank you.” Darcy gave Sarah’s bouncer a gentle nudge before shifting to sit closer to the coffee table and her plate. Sarah giggled and smiled.

Steve was glad he’d been working on cooking well before Darcy got pregnant, because it made him able to be more helpful. Not that Darcy never cooked anymore, but Steve had seemed to make a point from the time she got pregnant to cook much more often, and he’d gotten very good at it. Pasta was a nice, simple meal for lunch. They would still be plenty hungry enough for their dinner date. He sat down next to Darcy and smiled at Sarah. “I hope you are having a good birthday so far. Even if it’s just hanging out here most of the day. How does it feel to be thirty, anyway?”

“I am, this is what I wanted. You, and me, and Sarah. And then you and me for a little dinner and time alone. I’ve only been thirty for a little bit, but it feels pretty good so far. In some ways our lives have changed a lot, being a family and all. But some things have remained, in the work we do. I feel like I’ve been easing into this new stage, without losing what is still important and worth keeping from years ago, like working for a good cause, with good people.” Life with the Avengers still involved adventures and occasional saving of the world, or parts of it. Darcy was actually glad for that, so long as the world needed help, it was nice to feel like she was a part of helping it. She and Steve hadn’t been completely sure how to raise a family within that life, but once Darcy realized she was pregnant, they kind of had to. Granted they were only two months into actual parenthood, but so far, they were managing just fine.

“I’m really amazed by the way you’ve grown through all the little changes in work and our lives. You always seem confident, even when I know you’re worried. And you really do make me feel like I can do anything.” Steve had worried, not about Darcy turning thirty, but about the family life as an Avenger thing. But with the both of them, it was working. Steve had been very excited when he heard he was going to be a father, even with the nerves, but nothing prepared him for the love and joy he felt bursting inside him each new step along the way. Hearing the baby’s heart beat, watching Darcy’s belly grow, feeling the kicks, and then when he laid eyes on baby Sarah, the feeling just grew more and more.

Darcy laughed a little at what Steve said, which made Sarah laugh too. “That’s funny, because I feel the same way about you. You drive me to keep working hard, keep doing what I can to help, and making me feel confident enough to do all these things.”

Sarah’s giggles forced Steve to join the laughter. He couldn’t seem to help grinning and laughing when his daughter laughed. He and Darcy had seemed to bring out the best in each other, and together, they had made an amazing child. Sarah was just a baby, but Steve simply had a feeling that his daughter would do something amazing. Not necessarily like him, or even like Darcy, but something. “And that sound is the best reason for all the things we do.”

“It really is.” They both had completely fallen in love with their baby, and it some how seemed to make them fall in love with each other even more as well. Darcy hadn’t expected that. Her sisters had said how having a baby, you hold that baby and it’s like a whole new kind of love, which was true. But none mentioned it making them fall even more in love with their husbands, or their husbands with them. But it had seemed to happen with her and Steve.


	8. Candles

Before Darcy had a baby, she’d thought the notion of having a birthday party for a one year old was a silly thing, the kid wouldn’t remember. But then she became the mother to a one year old, and she realized it was more about the parents celebrating the first year of their child with close family and friends. Which was what she and Steve had done. Darcy had kept saying it was silly, but it had been fun. There was even a candle on the cake, one of those silly number candles that she and Steve had blown out for Sarah. Sarah did like the frosting though. So, Darcy had to laugh when that number one candle made a second appearance on her thirty first birthday cake alongside three normal colored birthday candles.

It wasn’t really a party, just Jane, Thor, Sam, and Bucky. There were a few others who probably would have been there, had they not been busy on a mission. They only sent the whole team if it really needed the whole team. And the particular operation was more skewed toward Nat and Clint’s skills, with Maria leading. And a few other people were simply away from the building for other reasons. Tony was on a much needed vacation with Pepper. Bruce and Erik were at a science lecture thing that Jane was never a fan of. She liked doing the science and enjoyed talking with other specialists, but wasn’t as good at talking about it to a class full of grad students who had a million questions she had to explain the answers to in some kind of concise way.

“It was the only other candle I could find. It’s like three and one.” Steve was chuckling, as were a few of their friends.

“I suppose it does make sense. It only looks ridiculous.” She had a big smile on her face though.

Sarah started giggling when her mother did, and slapped her little hand against the cheek of her Uncle Bucky. Bucky had been slow to go near the baby for the first few months. He had felt like she was too little, he was afraid of hurting her. But as she grew more independently mobile, Bucky had trouble avoiding the baby when she came charging at him at full crawl speed. By the time she started taking real steps, the little girl had already wrapped Bucky around her little finger. Not that Sarah didn’t love all their friends, who were her big family of aunts and uncles, but much like her father, she did seem to have a special place for Bucky. Thus as soon as Bucky had arrived to the gathering, little Sarah had charged over to him and demanded to be picked up and hadn’t let go since. Of course, Bucky was never in any hurry to put her down anymore. He didn’t worry about her being too little, and had noticed she was pretty crazy strong for a little baby.

Sarah’s giggles spread for a few moments until everyone settled enough to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Darcy, and she blew out the candles in one blow. Everyone cheered and Sarah smacked Bucky’s cheeks again. Darcy had to lay a smooch on her daughter’s cheek before thinking of cake. That was the order of things, her adorable daughter before cake. The smile on Steve’s face mirrored her own, and he kissed her then their daughter while Jane was making seemingly perfectly even sliced pieces of cake for everyone. Well, two evenly sliced pieces for her and Jane, and four larger but even with each other pieces for Thor, Steve, Bucky, and Sam. Jane also scooped the extra embellishments of frosting off her own slice and put them on Bucky’s plate for Sarah to have.

“I hope this is as perfect to you as it is to me.” Darcy smiled at the words Steve whispered in her ear arms sliding around her from behind.

“It is. It would have been perfect any which way as long as I was with you and Sarah. Everything else is just extra.” Darcy had stopped needing parties years ago, and any special things like dinner were just extras. Having a few friends and a cake seemed extra special.

She and Steve shared a chair, it was nice to have a moment with him, not that it never happened. All their wonderful friends were very nice about giving them some time away from tending Sarah. It didn’t mean they didn’t savor it every time, because they did. With Sarah occupied, Darcy could sit in Steve’s lap and they could giggle while feeding each other bites of cake.

“Is there anything else extra I could do though? I feel like we used to make more of a thing of your birthdays.” Steve had never worried much about his own, though Darcy always seemed to do a little something. Even though he shared his birthday with the nation, and had never cared too much about making a thing of it, ever since he met her, she made him breakfast on the Fourth of July. Not just any breakfast though, an all out breakfast, whatever was his favorite or most craved at the time. She also made him a dessert of some sort for the evening, even if the day was spent at some party or event. She somehow just made him feel special that day, and he wanted to make sure he was truly doing the same for her.

“I don’t know, that candle was pretty impressive.” His chuckles mingled with hers.

“Hey, Buck, how do you feel about keeping the Sarah Bear for the night?” The more he thought about it, the more Steve thought a quiet night would be a nice extra. He and Darcy were fairly good about keeping the spark alive, even when the baby was in the other room, but it was nicer when there was no random chance for a crying baby to interrupt. Since Bucky was now comfortable with overnight babysitting and Sarah always seemed happy to spend time with her Uncle Bucky, it seemed worth a shot. Plus it would mean no middle of the night wake ups, and the chance to sleep in.

Bucky had been busy being hand fed cake by Sarah, there was frosting all over his cheek as a result. The smile on his face said everything, though he replied anyway, “sure!” Sarah was all giggles, not that it was clear she caught any of the content of the conversation, she seemed too busy getting cake all over Bucky.

“Thank you.” Steve grinned at his friend before looking back at Darcy to find the smile all the way through to her eyes as she watched their daughter playing.

Darcy looked back at Steve, her lips grazing his for just a moment. “And thank you.”

“I should thank you, for making every year special.” Steve leaned in, forgetting the cake next to them, or anything else in the room, and losing himself in the feeling of Darcy for a few moments.


	9. Surprise

The summer had been a busy one. Ever since around Sarah’s second birthday, the team at Avenger’s compound had been in and out almost constantly on missions. Steve had barely gotten home from one mission for his birthday before another call came. The same thing happened for his and Darcy’s anniversary. They got three days before he was off again, with the entire team, to take down a resurgence of AIM. He had called the night before to say they were finished and cleaning up, so he would be arriving home first thing in the morning.

Steve felt terrible he wasn’t getting to wake up with Darcy on her birthday, that hadn’t happened in six years. Darcy was just happy he was getting home on her birthday, it felt like the best gift she could get. After almost two weeks, she really missed him, Sarah really missed him, and the compound in general just wasn’t the same with so many others away as well.

She had still had Jane and Erik around, but they were very busy working also, so they couldn’t always watch Sarah when Darcy needed to get a few things done. It was the first time ever that Darcy had to use the compound’s official daycare center for Sarah. Sarah didn’t hate it, but she seemed very happy to see Darcy after three hours at the daycare. Darcy hadn’t left her there all day, only for a few hours so she could get some essential things done, that she really couldn’t attend to with her daughter lurking around. Usually there were so many friends around, there was always someone to watch Sarah. If Bucky was working on something with Steve, then Tony didn’t mind the little one hanging around his lab. If not Tony, then Wanda was just hanging out in her room, and was happy to watch Sarah for a couple hours. If it wasn’t Wanda, it was someone else. It was rare that nearly everyone they were close to was out of the compound at the same time.

Darcy was standing just outside the Quinjet hangar with Sarah when they landed. Steve was the first one out. It hadn’t always been like that, but ever since Darcy became a staple in his life, he was always anxious to get home, and into her arms. The addition of Sarah to their lives two years ago had only served to double his speed. The ramp didn’t even get all the way down when he hopped out onto the ground and rushed over to scoop his girls up. As usual, Darcy had Sarah on her hip, so it was easy for Steve to just wrap them both up. He kissed Darcy, then Sarah, then his lips lingered on his wife’s again.

When they pulled back to see Sarah giggling, they also saw Bucky standing just to the side of them. Everyone else was off to get some rest or do some follow up work. They were all family, but Bucky was a little more family than anyone else, he always gave them a moment, but didn’t wander off like the others. Especially since Sarah came along, and the little girl was generally equally excited to see her Uncle Bucky, as she was to see her dad. Steve and Darcy loosened their hold on Sarah so Bucky could lift her out and hold her.

Steve pulled Darcy in a little tighter, leaning in for a long, slow kiss. Once he finally pulled back, it was only enough to catch a breath and speak, opening his eyes to gaze into hers as they fluttered open. “Happy birthday. I missed you.”

“I missed you too. We’re glad you’re home. And I have a little surprise for you.” Darcy smiled, glancing a moment at Sarah when the little one giggled.

“It’s your birthday, I should be the one surprising you.” Steve wondered what the surprise was, and thought maybe he should try to come up with something fast to better celebrate her birthday, besides simply being back home.

“Maybe, but I have a surprise for you anyway. Sarah is going to help.” She looked again at her daughter, “Sarah, do you remember what I said to say to Daddy when he came home?”

“Yes!” Sarah’s little arms went up in time with the big smile on her face.

Bucky shifted a little, “should I give you guys a minute?”

“No, you are welcome to be part of the surprise.” Darcy smiled and reached out to brush a light hand down Bucky’s arm. He seemed to be more conscious about his place in the family than the rest of them were. There were a few occasions that were a strictly just her and Steve, and sometimes Sarah things, but they were few. Bucky nodded and smiled.

“Should I be worried about this surprise?” Steve raised an eyebrow, but also chuckled, wiggling a finger at his daughter’s tummy making her giggle, her hands grabbing his fingers.

Darcy just laughed, “can you tell Daddy, Sarah?”

“Mama have baby. I big sister.” Some of the words were a little garbled, but Darcy was proud Sarah managed it. She was a pretty bright kid. Part of her wanted to think that was actually partly her, because Darcy had apparently been quite the talker even at two. But she secretly wasn’t sure all of Sarah’s amazing qualities weren’t courtesy of Steve, and not just because of the serum. As Steve told it, his mother said much the same things about him as a child, that even though he was weak and sick, he had quite the little mind on him.

It took Steve a moment of processing, and Darcy was watching his every move while he did. “Seriously? You’re pregnant?!” The smile was already spreading over his features.

“Yes. Just saw the doctor while you were away to be sure. And it’s sure.” Darcy laughed as she barely even got the words out before Steve lifted her off her feet and spun her around, his lips on hers, yet again. Sarah was giggling and cheering at the joy her parents had while Bucky had a big grin plastered across his face.

“This is amazing, and definitely the best surprise. I only wish I had something half as wonderful to surprise you with, but I have nothing.” Steve did wish he’d planned something for her birthday or something, even just a dinner date, but he hadn’t had the time. There was no dulling his smile, even with that thought, because they were going to have another baby.

“I don’t need any surprises or anything else for my birthday, just you. Sarah and I are just glad you’re home,” Darcy looked over at Sarah, and Bucky, “we’re glad you’re both home.”

Steve and Darcy opened their arms and Bucky joined the hug without hesitation, happy to be a part of the family celebration. “If you guys want to do an on the spur dinner out, I can watch Sarah.”

“Nothing has to be tonight if you guys are tired from the mission.” Darcy didn’t want Bucky or Steve to feel like they had to do anything after a long mission. She didn’t mind if they just wanted to kick back on the couch and she could make them dinner.

“I don’t mind at all, if you guys want to go do something for a bit.” Bucky chuckled as Sarah half squealed with delight. She absolutely understood that meant hanging out with Uncle Bucky.

Steve chuckled, very happy to have all the most important people in his life close for this news that this group was growing again. “That would be great, because I would really like to at least take Darcy to dinner, especially now.”

“I would love that. Thank you.” Darcy really was just happy the team was home, and happy Steve was back for her birthday, but she was already feeling extra excited to go to dinner with her husband.

“I love you,” Steve went for another little kiss, he couldn’t help it, even with Sarah and Bucky smooshed into their little hug, he had to give Darcy another kiss. His insides were just jumping still from the thought of having another child.


	10. Cupcakes

Since the new year, Avengers calls had calmed a bit from the year before. Still plenty of work to do, it was unlikely that was ever going to stop, but it had calmed. That had been nice, since it had been a busy year personally for Darcy and Steve. They had spent the past four months with a new baby, a son they named James. It was for Bucky, of course, not that anyone really called him James, so there wasn’t any confusion. Everyone called the baby Jimmy, or Baby James anyway though. Baby James was rather fond of his namesake, and Bucky was not so hesitant to engage with the baby, as he’d been with Sarah at that age. No doubt because he’d realized with Sarah he was capable of handling a baby, so this time around he was there from the start, in the delivery room with her and Steve. He’d been actually the second person to hold Baby James, second only to the doctor that delivered James, even before Steve or Darcy did. Darcy had been a little tired, and Steve was still holding her hand and they were having a bit of a moment after Baby James cried, so the doctor had handed the newborn to the set of free hands in the room, which were Bucky’s.

Ever since, it was largely a team effort, not just the three of them, but the whole compound helping to bring up the little ones, especially since they weren’t the only ones with them. Tony and Pepper had finally had themselves a little one in the past year also, so Baby James and Sarah had a buddy in little Howie Stark. Tony and his family still jetted around, and they were in the city the day of Darcy’s birthday, but they were around often. Tony had insisted on planning Darcy a party, but that was happening at the end of the week on Saturday, when Tony was back at the compound. So on the day, it was a simple gathering.

So simple, Darcy was making her own birthday cupcakes. She had help, Steve, Bucky, Wanda, and Sarah were all lending a hand in the baking. Jane and Thor were lounging around, along with Erik, playing with Baby James. Erik was surprisingly natural with the little ones. He didn’t have any kids of his own, but he’d sort of turned into the compound grandpa with the kids. And Sam was relaxing at the kitchen counter watching them bake while sipping a beer.

Sarah liked to stir and help measure things, largely with Bucky hovering around her, making sure she didn’t create a big mess. They were making two big batches, one batch chocolate, the other lemon. The chocolate were basically done, the last tray of them was in the oven, along with the first tray of lemon. Bucky was keeping Sarah’s fingers clear while Wanda got the batter into the cups for the next trays.

Darcy was trying to get Steve to stop sticking his finger in the frosting while she tried to frost the first batch which was cool enough to do so. Like father, like daughter, she supposed, as she noticed her daughter trying to get her fingers in the batter. “You do know that you are where she gets that habit from.”

Steve glanced over to see Bucky scooping Sarah up and carrying her off so Wanda could finish without disturbance. He chuckled, if he or Darcy had done that, Sarah probably would have been pouting and sulking and huffing, but Bucky did it and she was laughing. “Like you never swiped sweets while someone was baking.”

“I did, but not so excessively, unless it was sanctioned by the baker. But that innocent puppy look she does when she’s doing it is all you. When I was up to something, I never looked innocent. Sometimes I didn’t look innocent even when I was.” Darcy had four sisters, the first two usually looked innocent, and were innocent. The third never looked innocent, and rarely was. The fourth looked innocent, but almost never was. While she had rarely looked innocent, but usually wasn’t all that bad, only sometimes.

“Well, maybe Baby James will take after you.” While it seemed like Darcy saw their kids as taking mostly after him, Steve saw an awful lot of Darcy in them. James was a little young, it was hard to tell at four months just which parent he was taking after, though his hair seemed a little lighter, maybe more like Steve’s. But Sarah, yes, she was strong, and had some of Steve’s personality, but she also had some of Darcy’s, which perhaps Steve and Darcy’s weren’t terribly different in their outlooks on the world. And Steve certainly saw some of Darcy’s looks in their daughter. The darker hair, the look in her eyes, even her laugh, Steve thought sounded like a tinier version of Darcy’s.

“Maybe, but he’s already strong as hell, with a stubbornness to match.” She poked her husband in the stomach before trying to frost another cupcake.

“Okay, there’s no way to tell who they got stubbornness from, that could easily be either of us.” They were still watching James’ personality develop, but he definitely had the stubborn gene, that was already clear. Steve leaned in behind Darcy and nipped at the nape of her neck.

Darcy laughed, though she still thought Steve was a little more stubborn than she was. Not that he never compromised with her, he was very good at that actually. But he just seemed far more hard headed and immovable than she was, and even Baby James had that streak at just four months. “Maybe, you are still distracting me from frosting the cupcakes.”

“I’m keeping my hands off the frosting, you can’t ask me to also keep my hands off you. It’s one or the other, Sweetheart.” Steve’s breath in her ear made her quiver just a bit. Sometimes it was crazy the way his voice still did that to her.

Wanda laughed softly, moving closer to them, “here, let me do the frosting. The trays are all ready to go in. Sit down and enjoy your birthday a little.”

“Thank you.” Darcy smiled at Wanda as Steve gently pulled her away from the counter and out of the kitchen area and to the couch. Sam and Bucky had already agreed to watch the kids for the night, so later that night she could do something about the warm tingling sensation Steve had triggered. In the meantime, she leaned back into Steve as they settled on the couch together, watching Erik as he lightly bounced James in his bouncer seat. Baby James was all smiles.

“Sometimes I can hardly believe we made that.” The content of Steve’s whisper was different, though the tone of his voice still tickled her skin in enticing ways.

“It wows me sometimes too.” Darcy gave her husband’s leg a squeeze, which prompted him to nuzzle his nose in her hair.

“In ten years, I went from feeling lost and alone, unsure I could ever even hope to have anything normal in my life. That the most I could ever hope for was to feel helpful to the world. To having the family I had always dreamed of as a child, while still getting to help the world, and feeling very loved and cared for by more people than I ever thought I would have in my life. And you are what enabled me to have all of that.” Despite the room of people, they were having a quiet moment.

“I’m glad you are happy, and feel like your life is fulfilling now. I feel very happy and satisfied in our life too. I get to help people, I have an awesome family, and so much love. A lot of that has come from my meeting you, so we made not only those two crazy little kids together, but this whole life.” Darcy grinned at the way Steve’s face lit up. It used to be a rarer thing, that he would look so purely happy. It made her happy how often she saw that kind of expression on his face. He leaned in slow, the eye contact only ceased when their lips were so close they could almost feel each other already. The kiss lingered until a delighted squeal from Sarah made everyone look over.

Sam had her upside down by the waist, swinging her back and forth high enough even when she stretched her arms out, her hands didn’t quite get to the floor. Even Baby James laughed at the scene. Steve watched for a minute before his gaze landed back on Darcy’s face. He didn’t speak though until she looked at him, “I love you, happy birthday.”

“I love you, too.” It was a great birthday, cuddled up to her husband, while they had friends around, watching their kids play and laugh.


End file.
